BREAKING: Ireland to resume use of AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine

THE Health Service Executive is to resume distribution of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine after the National Immunisation Advisory Committee recommended that it can be used in Ireland.

Based of the assessments undertaken by the European Medicines Agency and NIAC over the past week Dr Ronan Glynn, Deputy Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that he has recommended the recommencement of the Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca programme.  

In a statement, issued this Friday evening, he said there have been no reports, to date, of serious clotting events associated with low platelets in Ireland.

"The National Immunisation Advisory Committee has convened and reviewed the EMA statement in relation to Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca and, following discussion with representatives from the Health Products Regulatory Authority, the National Coagulation Centre and counterparts across the EU, has recommended that the administration of Covid-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca should be recommenced."

Statement from Deputy Chief Medical Officer @ronan_glynn on the #COVID19 Vaccine #AstraZeneca #HoldFirm pic.twitter.com/WTHDJ5Axlr

— Department of Health (@roinnslainte) March 19, 2021

Following the decision, the HSE will now work to recommence the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible.

Before the vaccine programme was paused last Sunday, more than 117,000 doses of AstraZeneca had been administered in Ireland.